The Cat's Meow
by x-PaintItRed-x
Summary: Dave Strider finally moves into an apartment of his own, but soon discovers that it's pretty lonely without Bro around. To ease the loneliness, he decides to get himself a pet. However, he gets much more than he bargained for. Dave Strider and Neko!John Egbert WARNING: yaoi, boyxboy, abuse, violence, etc.
1. Chapter 1

"You sure you want to move out lil' man..? I mean.. You don't have to."

I remember Bro's every word as I packed my last box, preparing to leave for my new apartment. It was going to be my first day out on my own.. And I was more than excited.

"Yeah bro. I'm sure." I said this with a smile, my shades placed neatly on my face as I closed the trunk of my red scion coupe. My bro nodded wishing me farewell with a hug and a fist bump. After that.. I had left our apartment complex, heading to my new home.

It took almost six days to get all my stuff organized, save for a few boxes, before I was finally settled in enough to sit down and watch some tv..

"Hey bro! My little pony's on! Wanna-" I stopped, remembering that I wasn't living with Bro anymore, and sighed. It certainly was nice in this apartment.. But, It seemed pretty lonely without someone to share it with.

I closed my eyes, shutting off the tv and just taking a few minutes to get used to the never-ending silence of the apartment. But alas, my phone interrupted the silence and I groaned as I pulled it out of my pocket and answered. It was my half sister, Rose, and boy was she a fucking psychic or what?

"Are you lonely yet at your new apartment David?"  
I frowned, taking a breathe before speaking. "Alright. First off, NEVER call me David again. Second, yes I'm lonely. What the fuck am I suppose to do all day without someone to talk to?"

"I don't know Dave. Get out..? Maybe make some friends..?"

"No way.. Everyone around here thinks I'm a freak. You know that."

"Fine.. Then get yourself a pet."  
"A pet..?" I repeat this, wanting to make sure I heard her correctly.

"Yes Dave. A pet. You know.. A cat, a dog, maybe a parrot.."  
"I know what a pet is Rose. I just didn't think I was hearing you right."  
"Ok. Well you should consider it. A pet would be a good thing for you. Anyway.. I must be going. Talk to you later David."  
"Damn it Rose! I told you not to call me tha-" And she hung up.

I sighed, thinking it over. Maybe a pet would be a good idea. I always wanted one when I was little.. And it certainly would make this place less empty feeling.

I looked to my wallet, grabbing it off the coffee table. I had a good two hundred bucks inside.. I guess I could afford a pet. Plus I was getting paid another three hundred at the end of the week since the last remix record I made was a hit at the club I worked for.. So I'd get the money back pretty soon. I sighed, standing and heading outside with my car keys in hand.

I really didn't know what type of pet to get.. So I decided to go to the pound. I was certain I'd find a dog or cat there.. And those were the best types of pets companionship wise. I smiled, driving with an excited spark in my eyes. Maybe I could teach it tricks or something!

I felt more excited than I had since I moved into my new apartment. I couldn't wait to find my first pet!


	2. Chapter 2

"Good afternoon sir, how may I help you?"

I was greeted by a friendly girl when I stepped inside the pound, the muffled sound of dog barks coming from a door behind her.

"Hi, I'm looking to adopt a pet." I said this with a small grin, staring at her from behind my shades. She was nice, telling me the ups and downs of both cats and dogs, and in the end, I was pretty convinced I wanted a dog.

"Alright.. The canine kennels are through this door. If you don't find any dogs you're interested in, then we also have cats which you can find by going through the door at the end of the canine kennel hall."

I nodded and then stepped inside, leaving her up at the front desk. I was surprised by how many dogs there were.. But within fifteen minutes, I was pretty disappointed. None of these dogs were very nice.. And the ones that were, were too old to even walk. Yeah.. I felt bad for them.. But I didn't want to get a pet that was going to die on me and leave me miserable after I just got attached to it. So.. Off to the cats.

"Hey.. You're kinda' cute.." I smiled, spotting a little grey tabby kitten with green eyes. It was rubbing up against the bars like crazy and when I stuck my fingers in the cage it nibbled on them and purred like crazy. I was pretty sure I found the pet for me.. That is.. Until I spotted the little hand poking out from a supply closet door two cages down, reaching for a cat toy that was just out of reach. I stared at it, thinking maybe it was some kid that had been looking around at the animals and decided to play in the closet, but I soon noticed that the little hand had cat like claws instead of fingernails. I decided that I'd check it out and slowly made my way towards the closet door. As soon as I got close though, the hand vanished inside and I couldn't help but become more curious. I grabbed the toy, holding it out as I pulled open the door.

I was surprised to say the least.. When I discovered that the little hand belonged to a small boy with cat ears and a tail. He even had feet that looked like cat paws!

"Hey little guy.." I said this softly, still holding out the toy as I stared at him. He had black hair and big, bright blue eyes and was locked inside a small cage. It barely looked big enough for him to stand in, let alone live in, and it seemed that the only thing he had was a small torn up blanket and a bowl of water. The little guy was backed up into the corner as far as he possibly could get too.. And I felt bad. He didn't seem dangerous or anything.. So I didn't see why he'd be hidden in such an awful place. "It's ok.. I won't hurt you." I held the toy in the palm of my hand, stretching it out as far as possible without getting closer to him. He eyed me suspiciously before hesitantly reaching his little hand out, grabbing the toy from me.

Once he had it though, he was back to the corner, clinging to the toy and hiding his face. His whole body was shaking and that was all I needed to see to make my decision.

He was coming home with me.


	3. Chapter 3

"Welcome home little guy." I said this with a small smile as I opened up the dog carrier that the pound had given me, letting the little cat boy out. He was extremely nervous, shaking like a leaf as he stayed inside the carrier, but I soon managed to convince him by sitting down a good distance away from him.  
"It's alright.. I won't hurt you." I spoke softly, holding out a hand towards him. It took a good ten or fifteen minutes.. But he slowly emerged from the carrier, standing like a person rather than a cat, the toy from the pound clutched tightly to his chest along with the torn blanket. He was eyeing me suspiciously, stepping closer until he was close enough that I could touch him. I didn't though. Instead, I waited for him to feel comfortable to touch me. He was shy, one hand quivering as it slowly went to touch mine. I had my palm up, and when he hesitantly put his hand in mine, I smiled a bit.

"See? I won't hurt you." I still spoke softly, looking to his eyes and staying where I was. "My name's Dave. Ok?"

He nodded slowly and he carefully stepped closer, the hand that was in mine staying where it was. "D-Dabe.." He said this quietly and I couldn't help but smile more. "Not Dabe.. Dave."  
He nodded again, repeating my name once more. He got it right this time and I nodded. He smiled a tiny bit, ears pointing up slightly. "Why did you pick me..? Are you a scientist..?" He asked this shyly and I gently ran my thumb over the top of his hand, shaking my head.

"No.. I'm not a scientist."

He gave me a weird look at that, as if I just grew two heads. "Then.. Why did you adopt me..?"

I smiled, voice soft as I explained why I actually adopted him. It took a bit because he didn't seem to know much about normal every day things, but soon I got him to understand.

"But I'm a mutant.. A mistake." He said this with wide eyes, sitting down in front of me. I felt so bad for him.. He must've been treated pretty badly in those animal testing facilities.  
"You aren't a mistake. You're just special."  
Again.. Another weird look. "Spesal?"  
"Yeah. Special. It means you're different in a good way." I wait, giving him time to understand what I said. Once he understands, he smiles a bit more.

"I'm special? You mean it?"

I nod, my smile never fading. God, he was cute. And those eyes.. Jeez. I don't see why other people didn't want him.

"Of course I mean it. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."  
"But.. Scientists said things wouldn't hurt.." He said this quietly, frowning a bit and pulling his hand away from me. "But it all hurt. It hurt everywhere.."

I want to hug him at that but I didn't, not wanting to scare him. I couldn't see how someone could hurt such a sweet little guy like him. He was like a kid.. How could someone be so heartless?

"You won't hurt me will you..?" He asked this with big eyes, slowly beginning to back away from me, ears glued to his head. He looked so scared.. I wish I could make him feel better.

"Hey.. I won't ever hurt you ok? I promise. I'm going to protect you. That way you never get hurt again." I say this softly, not moving from my spot. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him any more than he already was.

"But why? Why do you want to protect four, one, three?" He asked me this with tears in his eyes and my heart nearly broke. He looked so scared, so broken.. And I wished I knew who the bastard was that did this to him.

"Four, one, three? Is that what they called you?"

He nodded, now back inside the dog carrier and shaking worse than before as he sniffled, tears falling down his cheeks. "The sc-scientist that made me gave me th-that name after my first test.."

"Oh.." I sighed, deciding that I needed to do something. "Well you know.. I think you look more like a John." I said this with a grin, coming up with the name last second.

"A John..? What's a John?" He looked to me with confusion, his shaking calming down quite a bit.

"It's not a thing. It's a name."  
"A.. Name..? You mean like four, one, three..?"  
I nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah. But four, one, three isn't a very good name for someone as special as you."

"So.. You want me to be called John..?"

I chuckled softly, finding his new expression cute. He wasn't shaking or crying anymore.. And his little eyebrows were knitted in confusion, one ear flicking slightly.

"Yeah. But I don't want you to be called that unless you like the name."  
"Unless.. I like it..?" He looked to me with even more interest than ever, slowly crawling out of the carrier. "But aren't you suppose to like my name?"

I shook my head, smiling softly. "It doesn't matter what I think of your name. It's up to you because it's your's."

He smiled at that, coming out and sitting down in front of me once more. "You're really nice Dave.."  
"Thanks.. You are too." I couldn't help but smile at his words, glad to hear that he thought I was nice. That was a big deal honestly.. Seeing as he had been made in a lab and tested on most of his life.

"I.. I think I like John.." He said this shyly, slowly coming closer to me.

I simply held my hands out, letting him see my palms. He smiled at that.. And soon enough his little hands were in mine, ears sticking up and a small smile on his face.

"I like that name too." I gently closed my hands around his, his eyes getting big.

"A-are you going to squeeze my h-hands?" He sounded scared and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me.

"No. I'm just holding them silly."

"Oh.." He looked down at our hands, ears flicking. "Dave..?"

"Yeah?"  
"I'm glad you picked me." He said this with a grin and I couldn't help but smile wide. He was so cute the way he said that.. But.. More than anything, it meant a lot. He was smiling and it was pretty clear now that he liked me.

"I'm glad I picked you too John."


	4. Chapter 4

It took me quite a while to get John used to my apartment. He would hide behind the couch, squeeze under the coffee table.. Anywhere he could hide, he'd be there. But now it had been nearly two days since I brought John home and he was slowly getting used to things.

"Dave..?" I looked to him, smiling softly as I lied on the couch.

"Hey John. What's up?"

John tilted his head before looking up, squinting his eyes. "Umm.. the ceiling?"

I laughed at that. Poor John really didn't know much.. "No.. I mean what do you want silly."

John blushed scratching one of his ears. "Oh.. Umm.." He looked to me, those bright blue eyes showing his shyness. "Can I have something to eat..? I'm hungry." And as if to confirm his words, John's stomach growled.

I chuckled, sitting up and stretching. "Ok.. Lets get you some food." I went to pet him, but he flinched, taking a step back.

"W-why do you wanna touch me?"

I sighed. "Sorry. I was just going to pet you. Didn't mean to scare you."

John nodded slowly and then headed for the kitchen. I followed, trying to think of what I could feed him. I spotted some frosted flakes and since I really didn't have any sort of fishy foods, I grabbed the cereal. Being part human.. I guessed John would like it. Of course.. I did put some milk into the bowl I filled with cereal, just so it would be a little more to his cat instinct's liking.

"Thank you Dave." John smiled staring up at me as I got the food ready.

When I set it on the kitchen table and sat at one of the open chairs though, it looked like John was going to cry.

"Hey.. What's wrong?" I asked this and he pointed at the bowl, whimpering as his eyes began filling with tears.

"Wh-why won't you let me h-have it..?"

My eyes went wide and I kneeled down in front of him. "Shh.. Hey. No crying ok? I'm not keeping it from you. I just sat it on the table so you can eat up there instead of on the floor." I gently took one of his hands, running my thumb over it. "It's ok John.. I won't keep the food from you. Come here.." I was gentle then, carefully pulling John into a hug. He stiffened and sniffled and whimpered.. But after a few moments of being held, he seemed to relax. "It's ok.." I spoke softly, rubbing his back gently. "I'm going to pick you up alright? That way you can eat." I say this a minute before standing with John in my arms. He buried his face in my neck, his little claws scratching my skin a bit as he clung to me. It hurt, but I didn't mind. I soon managed to sit in my own chair, John in my lap, and I pulled the bowl close, scooping up a spoonful of cereal and offering it to John. "Here.. Try this." My voice remained soft and John slowly took the food.

"Thank you.." He then went to eating, clearly enjoying the cereal.

After John finished eating, I pet his head gently, a tiny purr escaping him. The poor little guy still looked nervous... But I was patient and soon enough, he relaxed, leaning into me. "You're so nice Dave.." He said this quietly, smiling shyly up at me. It felt so good to hear him say that. I was glad he liked me.

"Thanks John." I carefully picked him up, putting the now empty cereal bowl in the sink before carrying him to the living room. He held onto me, claws once again scratching at me skin. "You know.. We should probably get your claws trimmed at some point.."

John's eyes widened and he immediately began to cry. My heart dropped.. God he looked so scared.

"Shh.. It's ok. It's ok.. Calm down." I pet his head, holding him close. "It's alright John. I promise it's ok."

He whimpered, shaking in my arms. "I-I don't wanna g-get my nails trimmed! I-it'll hurt!" He hid his face in my chest and I gently rubbed his back.

"Ok.. It's ok. Just calm down John. Calm down and listen to me ok?" He took several deep breaths, tears streaming down his cheeks as he finally looked at me. "I won't hurt you. I promise. I'll even use a file if you want so there's nothing to be scared of. I promise. I'll be super careful." I gently pressed a kiss to his forehead and he looked to my eyes, his own wide.  
"Y-you won't use the clippers..?"  
"Not unless you're ok with it." I smiled softly, petting between his ears. He began to purr softly, leaning into my touch.

"You pr-promise you won't hurt me..? Sw-swear it?"

I smiled, nodding. "I swear." And John then leaned into me completely, closing his eyes.  
"Dave.. You're the best.." He murmured this and I gently nuzzled him.

"No I'm not. You're the best." I said this and boy.. Did he purr. I smiled, keeping him there with me until he fell asleep. Only when he woke up did I decide it was time to tend to his nails.

We sat in the bathroom, John in my lap as I carefully filled down his sharp nails to a dull rounded edge. He smiled, watching me in awe as I finished up the first hand.

"Wow Dave! You did it!" He grinned, looking up to me. "It didn't even hurt!" He said this with big, happy blue eyes and I couldn't help but be proud of myself. I had done a good job cleaning up his first hand..

"I told you I wouldn't hurt you silly." I scratched gently behind his ear and smiled at the purrs that escaped him.

"Can we get the other hand done Dave..?" He asked this, smiling. "It feels good to have them all cleaned up.."  
I nodded and from there, I cleaned up the other hand, nails filed to a dull round edge. Once done, I treated John to a glass of milk and some cookies, carrying him to the couch where we then watched a movie, John's tail flicking about as he happily ate his snack.

This was nice honestly.. I liked having John here. He made it so much less lonely here.. And not to mention the little guy's smile made me happier than ever. This little guy who before had nothing, now was happily eating and drinking, nails cleaned up and body comfortable on the soft couch. I was glad I could give him a good home where he was safe from harm. He deserved it.


End file.
